update readme with required vcpkg version (#496)

- Improvement: Updated README.md to state the required version vcpkg

4 files changed, 20 insertions, 10 deletions

diff --git a/.github/workflows/create_release.yml b/.github/workflows/create_release.yml
index 7f934a71d..eaefdd1e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create_release.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: Create Release
 env:
-  VCPKG_VERSION: 2024.03.25
+  VCPKG_VERSION: 2024.03.25 # This version must be the same across .yml github workflows and if it is bumped the README.md must be updated to reflect this
   XMAKE_VERSION: 2.9.1
   WINDOWS_SDK_VERSION: 22621
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
index 5a898b730..9f6f81264 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: Validate
 env:
-  VCPKG_VERSION: 2024.03.25
+  VCPKG_VERSION: 2024.03.25 # This version must be the same across .yml github workflows and if it is bumped the README.md must be updated to reflect this
   XMAKE_VERSION: 2.9.1
   WINDOWS_SDK_VERSION: 22621
 
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bfc05e95e..b14f5385a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 - Improvement: Add explict ASSERT exception catch in http plugin request processing
 - Improvement: Make exceptions handled in http request processing to warnings
 - Improvement: Revised project oplog in-memory representation which reduces load times and memory usage
+- Improvement: Updated README.md to state the required version vcpkg
 
 ## 5.7.1
 - Improvement: Oplogs that have not been touched for 15 min are unloaded from memory during GC pass, oplogs are reloaded on demand
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6c8b7dfa0..8b5e9a655 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,12 +33,13 @@ To build the code you will need Visual Studio 2022 (we use c++20 features), git
 
 #### Installing vcpkg
 
-We use vcpkg to manage some libraries. Right now it's not set up on a project local
-basis and requires manual bootstrap so you will need to do the following at least once:
+Some of Zen's third party dependencies are provided by Microsoft's `vcpkg`
+C++ library manager. The Zen codebase currently requires vcpkg to use the 2024.03.25 release so make sure to clone/check out that version.
+After cloning the project there is an initialisation step.
 
 * open up a command line window
   * create a `git`/`github` directory somewhere for you to clone repos into
-  * issue `git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git` and build it using the `bootstrap-vcpkg.bat` script
+  * issue `git clone --depth 1 --branch 2024.03.25 https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git` and build it using the `bootstrap-vcpkg.bat` script
 * optional: add the `vcpkg` directory you cloned to your PATH to allow invoking vcpkg on the command line
 * issue `vcpkg integrate install` to make sure xmake and Visual Studio can locate the vcpkg install
 
@@ -55,10 +56,12 @@ from a Command Prompt window or a Terminal instance
   * run `git clone https://github.com/EpicGames/zen.git` or `gh repo clone EpicGames/zen` (you may want 
     to use `gh` to log in to github as well)
 * run `xmake sln` or `xmake project -k vsxmake2022 -a x64 -y` to generate a Visual Studio solution file
-* upgrade vcpkg and third party libraries if necessary due to changes in library versions
+* upgrade vcpkg and third party libraries to version `2024.03.25` if necessary due to changes in library versions
   * Update vcpkg
     * pushd ..\vcpkg
-    * git pull
+    * git fetch
+    * git clean -xdff
+    * git checkout 2024.03.25
     * bootstrap-vcpkg.bat
     * popd
   * Upgrade the thirdparty libraries managed for the solution by vcpkg
@@ -144,10 +147,11 @@ sudo apt-get install build-essential zip pkg-config
 ```
 
 Some of Zen's third party dependencies are provided by Microsoft's `vcpkg`
-C++ library manager. After cloning the project there is an initialisation step.
+C++ library manager. The Zen codebase currently requires vcpkg to use the 2024.03.25 release so make sure to clone/check out that version.
+After cloning the project there is an initialisation step.
 
 ```
-git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git ~/zen/vcpkg
+git clone --depth 1 --branch 2024.03.25 https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git ~/zen/vcpkg
 ~/zen/vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh
 ~/zen/vcpkg/vcpkg --version
 ```
@@ -202,8 +206,13 @@ then build the project. You will also need to install Xcode or Xcode command lin
 tools.
 
 ### vcpkg
+
+Some of Zen's third party dependencies are provided by Microsoft's `vcpkg`
+C++ library manager. The Zen codebase currently requires vcpkg to use the 2024.03.25 release so make sure to clone/check out that version.
+After cloning the project there is an initialisation step.
+
 ```
-git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git ~/zen/vcpkg
+git clone --depth 1 --branch 2024.03.25 https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git ~/zen/vcpkg
 ~/zen/vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh
 ~/zen/vcpkg/vcpkg --version
 ```